Monitoring device and monitoring method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9489579-B2
Application number	US-201414518578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A monitoring device configured to monitor whether a look of a target person is in a proper state suitable for a working environment, and comprising: an image input unit configured to input an image of the target person; a detector configured to analyze the image input by the image input unit and detect a predetermined region of a human body of the target person; a state estimator configured to estimate a state of the predetermined region detected by the detector; a proper state acquisition unit configured to acquire proper state information on a proper state of the predetermined region according to the working environment; and a controller configured to determine whether a present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by comparing an estimation result of the state estimator to the proper state information, and perform control according to a determination result.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A monitoring device configured to monitor whether a look of a target person is in a proper state suitable for a working environment or a working content, the monitoring device comprising:
an image input unit configured to input an image of the target person;
a detector configured to analyze the image input by the image input unit and detect a predetermined region of a human body of the target person;
a state estimator configured to estimate a state of the predetermined region detected by the detector;
a proper state acquisition unit configured to acquire proper state information, the proper state information expressing a proper state of the predetermined region according to the working environment or the working content; and
a controller configured to determine whether a present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by comparing an estimation result of the state estimator to the proper state information, and perform control according to a determination result,
wherein the proper state acquisition unit is configured to analyze the image input by the image input unit, estimate the working environment or the working content of the target person, and decide the proper state of the predetermined region based on the estimation result of the working environment or the working content of the target person.

2. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the proper state acquisition unit is configured to read the proper state information from a storage in which the proper state information expressing the proper state of the predetermined region is previously set.

3. The monitoring device according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of pieces of proper state information can be set in the storage, and
the proper state acquisition unit is configured to acquire the proper state information according to the working environment or the working content.

4. The monitoring device according to claim 3 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to monitor a plurality of areas that differ from each other in the working environment or the working content, and
the proper state acquisition unit is configured to acquire the proper state information based on which area the target person or the predetermined region is located in.

5. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the proper state acquisition unit is configured to recognize a worn physical body except the predetermined region of the target person or a physical body existing around the target person from the image input by the image input unit, and estimate the working environment or the working content of the target person based on a recognition result.

6. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined region is a hand, and
the state estimator is configured to estimate whether the target person correctly wears an object on the hand of the target person, or estimate a kind of the object worn on the hand of the target person.

7. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined region is a hand, and
the state estimator is configured to estimate whether the target person correctly wears an object on the hand of the target person, or estimate a kind of the object worn on the hand of the target person.

8. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein an object is present in the predetermined region and a color of the object varies according to the working environment or the working content,
the proper state information comprises information expressing the color of the object, and
the controller is configured to determine whether the present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by evaluating color consistency.

9. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein an object is present in the predetermined region and the thickness of the object varies according to the working environment or the working content,
the proper state information comprises information expressing a proper thickness of the object, and
the controller is configured to determine whether the present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by evaluating consistency of the thickness of the object with the proper thickness.

10. The monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein an object is present in the predetermined region and the shape of the object varies according to the working environment or the working content,
the proper state information comprises information expressing the shape of the object, and
the controller is configured to determine whether the present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by evaluating shape consistency.

11. The monitoring device according to any one of claim 1 , wherein an object is present in the predetermined region and the wearing range of the object varies according to the working environment or the working content,
the proper state information comprises information expressing a proper wearing range of the object, and
the controller is configured to determine whether the present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by evaluating consistency of the wearing range of the object with the proper wearing range.

12. A monitoring method for monitoring whether a look of a target person is in a proper state suitable for a working environment or a working content, the monitoring method comprising:
a step in which a computer inputs an image of the target person;
a step in which the computer analyzes the input image to detect a predetermined region of a human body of the target person;
a step in which the computer estimates a state of the predetermined region detected by the computer;
a step in which the computer acquires proper state information, the proper state information expressing a proper state of the predetermined region according to the working environment or the working content; and
a step in which the computer determines whether a present state of the predetermined region of the target person is proper by comparing a result of the state estimation of the computer to the proper state information, and performs control according to a determination result,
wherein the proper state information is acquired by the computer by analyzing the image input by the computer, estimating the working environment or the working content of the target person, and deciding the proper state of the predetermined region based on the estimation result of the working environment or the working content of the target person.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program configured to cause a computer to execute each step of the monitoring method according to claim 12 is stored.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Matsunaga Jumpei

Classifications

• F16P3/142 Primary

  using image capturing devices · CPC title

• G06K9/00375

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00771 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06V40/107

  Static hand or arm · CPC title

• G06V20/52 Primary

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title